Archaeologists unearth a unique religious structure outside the main entrance of Archanes Minoan palace.
The 2024 excavation season at the Minoan Palace of Archanes in Crete has yielded a remarkable discovery: a unique Gate Shrine located outside the palace’s main entrance. This unprecedented find, the first of its kind at a Minoan palace, sheds new light on the religious practices and beliefs of this ancient civilization. The excavation, led by archaeologist Dr. Efi Sapouna-Sakellarakis, continues to unveil the secrets of this three-story building, which played a pivotal role in the development of Minoan culture alongside the renowned Palace of Knossos.
The Gate Shrine was unearthed in the same area where four altars and the two arms of a stone platform were previously discovered, further emphasizing the religious significance of this location. The shrine itself is an architectural element integrated into the entrance of the palace, suggesting the importance of religious observance in daily life. This discovery offers a tantalizing glimpse into the spiritual world of the Minoans and their reverence for the divine.
Unveiling Layers of History
This year’s excavation also revealed a second pyramidal base on the platform, in addition to a double axe base found earlier. Evidence suggests the possible existence of a third base, partially preserved on the western arm of the platform. These bases likely supported sacred objects or offerings, further enriching our understanding of Minoan ritual practices.
Dr. Sapouna-Sakellarakis returned to the Minoan Palace of Archanes for the second consecutive year, following her extensive archaeological research in the 1960s, which first brought this magnificent palace to light. While the initial goal was to clarify certain architectural remains, the excavations have yielded a wealth of impressive new information.
In the southern section of this year’s excavation, a courtyard south of the entrance with the four altars was investigated, covering an area of 96 square meters. The eastern side of the excavation initially encountered a massive accumulation of fallen stones. This layer yielded few finds, primarily pottery from later periods, including Hellenistic, Mycenaean, and a small amount of Old Palace period pottery.
Beneath a disturbed layer in the southernmost part of the excavation, the Mycenaean destruction layer from a fire that had ravaged part of the Minoan palace was uncovered. This is consistent with the known history of Archanes and other Minoan palaces, which continued to be used in the Mycenaean period with repairs and reoccupations by the Mycenaeans. This layer yielded a multitude of fragmentary Mycenaean kylikes (drinking cups), indicative of the extensive destruction. Minoan finds were scarce, with notable examples including a fragment of a stone relief vessel and a piece of rock crystal.
A Sacred Entrance
The most captivating discovery was the architectural system of a Gate Shrine at the entrance of the palace, accompanied by the altars and the arms of the stone construction that framed a platform and two additional altars – a large elongated altar and a stepped altar – unearthed in previous excavation seasons. This complex suggests a rich tapestry of religious activities and ceremonies performed at the entrance to the palace.
Mycenaean gate shrines have been studied by S. Charitonidis (1960), with the primary example being a niche on the inner side of the Lion Gate at Mycenae. However, this proposal has been contested by other scholars. Later gate shrines are mentioned in honor of deities such as Artemis, alongside other examples from the Classical period. In Crete, Eileithyia Prothyraia, a prominent Cretan goddess, is referenced, signifying her protection of a space.
Another intriguing find is a stone base uncovered beneath the massive stones south of the entrance with the four altars. The base had fallen from an upper floor along with remnants of burnt wood and four distinctive bronze hooks. This discovery suggests that these hooks were connectors for a wooden xoanon (cult statue) that was supported on this base. This finding indicates that the upper floor of a room east of the courtyard had a sacred character.
Exploring the Palace Complex
The northern section of the palace revealed two- and three-story rooms belonging to a distinct wing of the palace, featuring luxurious chambers connected by corridors and doorways. The bases of these doorways were adorned with gleaming gypsum slabs, and the floors were paved with schist. In situ, the excavation uncovered the characteristic partitioning and decorative mortar bands that surrounded the floor slabs, a common feature in almost all areas of the palace.
Fallen plaster with fragments of frescoes was also found, some of which retain traces of blue and red pigment. Finally, in the westernmost section, part of the facade of a doorway was uncovered, preserving the lintel and the base of a doorjamb made of gleaming gypsum in its northern part.
Sir Arthur Evans was the first to mention Archanes, due to significant finds (now housed in the Ashmolean Museum) that apparently originated from the Minoan cemetery of Archanes at Fourni Hill. This cemetery was later excavated by Yannis and Efi Sakellarakis, yielding five tholos tombs, numerous funerary buildings, and chest-shaped tombs of the Mycenaean period.
In the town itself, Evans had observed large wall surfaces and excavated part of a circular aqueduct near the palace, seeking, according to the Victorian perceptions of his time, the “summer palace” of Knossos. This belief was also embraced by other researchers (Marinatos, Platon).
However, the mapping of all the aforementioned remains by Yannis Sakellarakis led to the selection of the site, which proved to be the center of the palace. The excavation yielded a multitude of architectural and luxurious portable finds. In a neighboring area, the archive and the theatrical space of the palace were also discovered (Yannis and Efi Sakellarakis, Archanes: A New Look at Minoan Crete vol. I & II, Athens, 1997).
The 2024 excavation at Archanes was conducted by the Archaeological Society in Athens under the direction of Dr. Efi Sapouna-Sakellarakis, with scientific staff including archaeologists Dr. Polina Sapouna-Ellis, Dimitris Kokkinakos (MA), and Persephone Xylouri.
This latest discovery at the Minoan Palace of Archanes adds another layer to our understanding of this fascinating civilization. The Gate Shrine, with its unique placement and religious significance, offers a rare glimpse into the spiritual life of the Minoans and their relationship with the divine. As excavations continue, we can anticipate further revelations that will illuminate the rich tapestry of Minoan culture and history.
